Systems Engineering Leadership Through Influence and Persuasion

Abstract

Rarely the ultimate decision-maker or policymaker, systems engineering (SE) leaders undertake a role to enable informed decision-making and guide outcomes to align with overarching strategic objectives. Therefore, influence and persuasion skills are a fundamental necessity for SE leaders to acquire and hone.

Our world is becoming increasingly interconnected at all levels of society across all demographics. Effective systems require a team effort across multiple disciplines that may not in the past have been as pivotal to the success of the solution. Recognizing the cruciality of interoperability, interdependencies, vulnerability, ownership, deployability, safety, obsolescence, technology rate of change, and other architectural and realization considerations requires SE leaders to be highly informed, flexible, and adaptable. The arrival of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy, coupled with the rising prominence of sociotechnical challenges, compels SE leaders to direct outcomes through team collaborations.

This chapter explores the various factors that shape the influence and persuasion strategies SE leaders adopt and adapt to their varied circumstances including preserving the “strategic thread”; organizational attributes; diverse audiences, roles, and culturally diverse teams; industry and domain characteristics; and new technologies – with considerations for temporal constraints and the perceived value of the SE leader. Finally, guidance is given for measuring the success of the collective strategies employed by the SE leader.